Special Coverage

Diverse field in allowance

There appears to be a little bit of something for every bettor's taste in Saturday's entry-level allowance feature for Louisiana-bred

fillies at Louisiana Downs. You have your usual recent maiden graduates, a couple coming off some stakes performances that may have been a case of too much too soon, and some once-promising 2-year-olds from last season making their first starts of the year.

Lyra Lee belongs in the first category, as the Eric Heitzmann charge made short work of some statebred maiden special weight foes here May 31. Lonnie Meche rode her for the first time that day and returns to the saddle Saturday.

Giant Appeal also comes off a front-running score in winning her maiden May 17.

Sparkling Diamond most recently finished eighth in the Fantasia Stakes in her second start. She showed her inexperience that day by racing greenly in the early going, and trainer Pam Simpson hopes she is better behaved Saturday.

Rich and Famous, a winner at first asking here last year as a juvenile and a third-place finisher in the Laurel Lane Stakes in her next start, will be making her seasonal bow for trainer Brent Kennedy.